Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Mystere

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,307 ratings analysed

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,067 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Mystere

Rochas

4.491,232 votes

Rank #298 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mystere takes 4 of 7 categories.

Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Mystere
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Initiation3/7

Mystere4/7

Ratings & consensus: Mystere
Community sentiment: Initiation
Longevity: Mystere
Sillage & projection: Mystere
Value for money: Initiation
Versatility: Initiation
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Mystere

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

InitiationMolyneux

MystereRochas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

4.49/ 5 · 1,232 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

Category winnerMystereRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

52%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

65%Love

26%Like

1%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,214 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMystere

SillageMystere

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value46

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

green84%

floral77%

earthy69%

musky61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

Top

GalbanumCorianderHiacynthAldehydesBergamot

Heart

CarnationRosemaryNarcissusOrris RootYlang-YlangVioletJasmineTuberose

Base

OakmossCivetCypressStyraxPatchouliCedarMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Tuberose and Ylang-Ylang. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Spring51

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men1

Unisex28

Women71

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#298

PerfumerNicolas Mamounas

Launched—

Reviews92

Category winnerMystereHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Initiation by Molyneux is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Initiation was launched in 1990. Top notes are Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot; middle notes are Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Narcissus, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Carnation and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Ho…

Reviews →

Mystere by Rochas is a dense, aromatic green chypre built for those who love vintage complexity. It opens with sharp galbanum and bitter coriander before settling into a mossy, cedar-heavy heart. This 1978 creation projects authority and sophistication, feeling most at home during cool autumn evenings or formal office…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Initiation or Mystere?

Mystere takes 4 of 7 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Mystere is rated 4.49/5 from 1,232 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Mystere for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Mystere?

Mystere lasts longest (Mystere 79/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Mystere?

Mystere projects furthest (Mystere 72/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initiation and Mystere smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Tuberose and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Initiation or Mystere better for summer or winter?

For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, Mystere is the stronger pick. Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initiation and Mystere?

Initiation has top notes of Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood and Aldehydes, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Narcissus, a base of Honey, Amber, Civet and Oakmoss. Mystere has top notes of Galbanum, Coriander, Hiacynth and Aldehydes, heart notes of Carnation, Rosemary, Narcissus and Orris Root, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Cypress and Styrax.